Choosing the Right TEMPEST Filter for Your Needs

Data thieves can access compromised information from virtually any point along a transmission pathway. Most electronics and electrical assemblies “leak” electromagnetic interference (EMI) that contains sensitive information, not just noise. This sensitive information is often referred to as “red” data by tech professionals. Skilled electronics experts can pick up this “red” data from most telephone signals, personal computers, servers, and dozens of other transmission sources—even power lines—without sufficient shielding.

Telecommunications Electronics Material Protected from Emanating Spurious Transmissions, or TEMPEST filters, can shield these potential sources of information by blocking EMI. A TEMPEST filter safeguards sensitive data by attenuating electromagnetic emissions across a broader frequency range than standard EMI filters. This broader frequency range reduces your vulnerability to data theft.

Considerations for Choosing a TEMPEST Filter

Just like with all filters and shields, it’s important to choose the right TEMPEST filter for different applications.

When determining the right TEMPEST filter for your needs, consider the following key factors:

• Frequency Range. Different information sources will each have their own frequency range. Match each source you want to protect with an EMI TEMPEST filter that has a cutoff frequency that encompasses the entire range.
• Insertion Loss. Insertion loss refers to how well a filter can attenuate unwanted EMI signals. As a general rule, filters with higher insertion loss values offer greater attenuation of EMI signals.
• Current Requirements. Know the maximum current the device will draw so you can find a filter with an equal or higher current rating.
• Voltage Requirements. Select a filter with a voltage rating suitable for the application to handle transient voltage spikes.
• Package Size. Smaller electronics won’t have much space for additional hardware. Consider the available space and the filter’s package size, especially in compact electronic devices.
• Filter Topology. TEMPEST filters come in single-stage and multi-stage varieties. Choose one that is compatible with the device’s needs and specific application.

Applications for TEMPEST Filters

TEMPEST filters can protect information across a wide range of devices and applications. All sensitive information can present potential vulnerabilities, so manufacturers, facility managers, and individuals all benefit from electronics with high-performance TEMPEST filters across electronics and transmission pathways.

Data Security

Data security facilities need to employ multiple layers of defense. Facilities may house sensitive information, PII, or even classified information. To cover all potential sources of data leaks, these facilities should use properly rated TEMPEST EMI filters on power supply systems throughout the property, as well as communication lines. TEMPEST EMI filters minimize the risk of data leakage.

Some specialized areas of data security that benefit most from TEMPEST filters are:

• Financial Information: Protecting sensitive financial data from eavesdropping.
• Government Organizations and Information: Safeguarding classified government data.
• National Security : Ensuring the integrity of national security information.
• Intellectual Property Data: Securing proprietary intellectual property from theft.

Compliance with Standards

Information security standards set by governments and organizations often include stringent controls on electromagnetic emissions to reduce the risk of unintentional data disclosure. The use of TEMPEST EMI filters in electronic systems can reduce electromagnetic emissions and assist in meeting compliance requirements, contributing to stronger data security.

Enhanced Privacy

It’s important to protect where data is used and accessed, not just where it’s housed. TEMPEST EMI filters can also be used to enhance privacy in numerous settings, such as corporate offices, research facilities, and medical institutions. By suppressing unintended electromagnetic emissions, these filters help safeguard sensitive information such as private communications, research data, and medical records.

Secure Communication Systems

Communication systems are vulnerable to “red” data theft because they handle a lot of incoming and outgoing signals. Adding filters to these communication systems can protect private, government, and business conversations:

• Computer Networks: Securing data transmitted over networks.
• Encrypted Telephone Networks: Preventing eavesdropping on sensitive phone calls.
• Radio Networks: Ensuring the integrity of radio communications.

TEMPEST Filters From Captor Corporation

At Captor Corporation, we specialize in EMI filter solutions for more reliable connections and a deeper degree of privacy and security. Our solutions include compact filters with high isolation capabilities, as well as high-performance TEMPEST filters that meet or exceed MIL-SPEC standards and have a high insertion loss. We offer more than 20 different standard designs and products, and our engineering team can create custom TEMPEST filters for specialty applications.

Fortify Your Data Security with Captor Corporation

Captor has been a trusted name in EMI filters for decades. For the past 70 years, we have developed into an engineering leader that creates high-quality custom EMI filters for fast security and performance improvements. Our capabilities include complete design and assembly, and all of our products are made in the United States. Contact us today to tell us more about what EMI TEMPEST filters you need, or request a quote to start your order.

The Future of EMI Filtering Technology

Modern equipment increasingly relies on modern EMI filtering solutions. As spaces become more crowded with high-power electrical systems, high-performance noise filtering and noise blocking solutions are required that can either contain their own noise or protect it from external noise.

Captor Corporation specializes in developing cutting-edge EMI filtering solutions. Since 1965, we’ve focused on electronic filters for multiple industries, including military and aerospace communications. Read on to learn about some emerging trends in EMI filtering technology and how ongoing developments can impact different industries and applications.

Integration of Simulation and Modeling

One of the key requirements of developing EMI filters is testing. Electromagnetic compatibility testing, or EMC testing, measures the performance of devices in specific settings. The test receivers measure electromagnetic emissions and noise to see what levels of interference are present and how susceptible technology may be to that interference.

Engineers have developed various simulations and modeling tools for virtual design testing and can use these advanced EMC testing capabilities to:

• Design better EMI filters
• Troubleshoot and optimize existing EMI filter designs
• Reduce expenses during the design phases by testing EMI before producing physical prototypes
• Streamline the development process by cutting down on prototype cycles and conducting fast virtual tests
• Create hypothetical test cases to ascertain how EMI and EMI filters will act in different environments and make predictions

More efficient testing can save companies money and time, and it can lead to more advanced designs and solutions. By conducting more experiments and product testing in virtual simulations, engineers can implement increasingly small design refinements, measure results in the anticipated conditions, and create detailed records.

Higher Frequency Range

One significant trend in EMI test receivers is the expanding frequency ranges. As electronic devices operate at higher frequencies, industries need EMI test receivers that can cover a broader spectrum to accurately capture and analyze emissions. This will drive further development of existing technologies, which will likely be able to evaluate electromagnetic emissions in millimeter-waves and Terahertz frequency bands.

Engineers will also need to develop specialized EMI test receivers for 5G. This wireless technology requires more advanced shielding, as 5G operates at high frequencies that current solutions can’t fully protect against. Future shielding solutions will need to block high-frequency noise in infrastructural assemblies, industrial systems, and smaller consumer devices to prevent interference and maintain device functionality.

Advanced Analysis Tools

The foundation of better EMI shielding lies in using better analysis tools. Engineers are creating advanced EMI test receivers that don’t just pick up a broader frequency range but can also use derived test data to point toward future solutions. For example, advanced analysis tools will use AI and machine learning to analyze interference in real time. EMI shields can then have adjusted filter settings that instantaneously respond to fluctuating interference sources.

AI-powered analysis can also provide the following:

• Auto-classified signal algorithms
• Better spectrogram displays
• Faster troubleshooting
• A greater understanding of emissions characteristics
• More robust abatement plans based on more data
• Smart or automated noise reduction systems
• Time-domain analysis on a finer scale

All of these advanced AI and analytic capabilities can give researchers and product developers the insight they need to zero in on cutting-edge designs that help with higher frequencies, electrical assemblies in disruptive conditions, and electrical systems that operate across a wide network. Embedding AI into the filter assemblies themselves can also facilitate new solutions through granular filtration control.

EMI Filters From Captor Corporation

While EMI filtering technology has improved over the years, the demand continues to grow for more advanced capabilities for testing, data analysis, and handling a higher frequency range. At Captor Corporation, we’re continually developing innovative EMI filters that can handle the challenges electrical assemblies face in defense and aerospace applications. For all of our products, we use robust testing protocols and adhere to industry-specific standards.

Reach out today to learn more about our broad range of EMI filter solutions and find the right products for your project. You can also request custom solutions for specialty applications.